


All Eyes On Me

by Erikapell



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 02:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11348235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikapell/pseuds/Erikapell
Summary: Pop Tate's Traveling Freak Show is something he's always heard about, being from the Southside of Riverdale Jughead Jones admires the adventure from a far but what if one day Pop Tate decides he could use Jugheads skill with animals to his favor? Will he fall in love with this new world? Will he fall in love with the beautiful blonde gymnast on the silks?





	All Eyes On Me

He had no idea what he was doing here. 

Jughead Jones stood nervously in front of the largest tent he had ever seen in his life, buses and cages and crates were everywhere and there was a familiar circus theme playing from somewhere in the distance. 

Yeah, he had no idea what he was doing here. 

It had all started last week, Jughead was tending to a sickly elephant at the Southside Zoo when the Dark, older man had approached him. 

"You've a knack for these animals, I've been watching you this past week" a thickly accented voice spoke from behind him. 

Jughead had whipped around, his eyes instantly widening when he caught the mans eyes, everyone knew who he was, everyone knew Pop Tate, owner and ring leader of Pop Tate's Traveling Freak Show.

Jughead had stumbled backward, his arms instinctively coming out to cover Besa, the zoos oldest elephant. 

"What's it to you?" The dark haired boy growled defiantly. 

Pop raised his hands in a show of surrender, a wide, bright smile on his face. 

"I've come with a proposition, an ear to listen is all I require." He sat down on the stool set up in the corner, his extravagant cane leaning carelessly against the wall. How much was a cane like that worth? If he had something like that he'd surely pawn it and make some coins. 

Jughead crossed his arms and raised a brow, nodding his head and Indicating he was ready to listen to whatever wacky idea the older man had in his mind, get it over with, get back to the animals. 

Pop Tate smiled again and began  
"You don't quite fit in here." He started, putting his hand up as Jughead was about to interject "you care about these animals, your....friends? They do not. I would like you to come with me, come travel with my show! You would be in charge of our animals, you can be a featured act! A lion tamer! Oh it would be splendid to see, something fresh! something new." Pops hands flung frantically as he mumbled to himself, his teeth shiny and white against his dark skin. 

Jughead stared in shock at the mans offer, he hated it here, hated the Southside, it had always been his dream to leave this place, to travel! But with... the freaks? Could he do that? What would his father say?

"I'm not a freak." Jughead finally stated, staring at the man before him, The ringleader looked at him with a curious kind of expression before pulling a card form his pocket and sliding it into his hand 

"Why, we're all crazy my friend. This is our address, give us a chance, we are setting up camp next week. You may like what you see." With a dramatic wave of his hand Pops was heading away and leaving Jughead staring at the printed card in his hand. 

That's what brought him to where he was today, tugging nervously on his suspenders as he stared at the people passing, suddenly a hand grabbed his arm, Jughead moved quick lifting a fist to who.. or whatever had just grabbed him.

A red haired boy jumped back 

"Woah there pal! Put those paws down!" The redhead grinned "I'm Archie Andrews and you're Jughead Jones, Pops hasn't stopped talking about you." He explained "he wasn't sure you were going to come but since you're here, let me show you around." He began leading the way as Jughead scrambled to catch up with the quick boy. 

"How old are you?" Jughead asked 

Once again Archie showed his pearly whites  
" I'm 18, figure you're the same age. I've been in this here freak show since I was 14!" 

Jughead examined Archie, there was nothing wrong with him, he was good looking, witty and overall very normal. 

"You're wondering what it is I do here." Archie's voice broke him from his thoughts and Jughead stuttered 

"I.. uh.."

Archie nodded "that's okay, I get it. I don't quite look like Norma, the bearded lady, Who by the makes the best peanut butter cookies. Anyway, I play the music. During intermissions and on the sidelines I play music. I'm pretty handy with a guitar." He high fived a little person and Jughead tried desperately not to stare, this was all so new.  
"Heard you might be our new lion tamer, that's a swell gig, sure wish animals liked me like that." 

Jughead couldn't help the swell of pride he felt, no one had ever been impressed, his family at home thought his skill was pointless and a measly hobby, he should be putting his time into working for his fathers gang, the Serpents. 

Archie turned into a room in the tent and turned to whisper in his ear  
"This is Veronica Lodge, she's a gyspy, she reads palms. She's also my unofficial woman, so don't get any ideas." His tone held warning and Jughead nodded. "Also she won't tell you your future but she knows. She knows everything." 

They entered the dramatically lit room, sheets and colors wrapped around the tiny space as a dark haired woman sat in the center bent over a crystal ball, a head band of dangling jewels hung around her face, her stomach was exposed as the long skirt jingled, her arms were littered in bracelets, when she glanced up he was taken aback by the intensity of her dark eyes. 

"Jughead Jones, our newest lion tamer." She grinned slyly at him. 

Jughead cleared his throat  
"Well.. I.. Umm.. haven't figured that out yet.." 

Veronica closed her eyes and touched the ball  
"Hmmm, you will be fantastic." She hummed. 

"Told you." Archie mumbled from beside him, his eyes trained on the beautiful gyspy 

"Archiekins, leave me now. I will meet you all for dinner." Her eyes fell back to the cards in front of her and Archie pushed Jughead through the door. 

"She's great." The musician sighed dreamily. 

"Quit talking to the new guy about your girlfriend." A deep voice spoke from their right, Jughead nearly fell over when he saw the size of the man speaking.

"Reggie mantle." The ginormous man reached a beefy hand out, squeezing Jugheads hand to the point of cut circulation. 

Reggie was huge, muscles rippled from every place on his body, He had a good foot on Jughead.

"Strongest man on earth." The bulky man bragged staring at his fingernails cockily. "Once I lifted All three of the pussycats over my head." He shrugged as Archie whacked him atop the head. 

"The pussycats are the orchestra, they're our age and they play all of the music in the Big Top show." Archie explained. 

"You made up your mind yet? You gonna join the family?" Reggie dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder, nearly drilling him into the crowd. 

Jughead stepped back. He liked it here, these people, they were weird just like him and they were accepting they didn't judge him, they wanted him. 

Archie smiled  
"I haven't even shown him Betty yet." 

Reggie grinned, his handsome face twisting in amusement 

"Well if you haven't made up your mind yet, I'm sure you will soon." 

The two boys led Jughead into the largest room, beautiful music flowing from an organ in the corner, his eyes were drawn instantly to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life.

 

The most gorgeous blonde woman Jughead had ever seen was suspended in air, silky hair falling over her shoulders as she spun around a hoop hanging from the ceiling, her legs twisting in such a graceful way, her body was contorting and before he knew it she was falling, quickly and slowly all at the same time, his legs moved to reach for her, to catch her but Archie placed a hand on his arm

"Just watch." His eyes were sparkling as he took in the scene before him. 

Suddenly Betty was holding onto pastel pink silks her legs twisted in them and she held on tight, muscles taut as she spun quickly, her hair whipping along wildly with the long red skirt she wore. She slowly eased herself onto the floor and lifted a final leg onto the silk, a serene smile playing on her lips, her eyes caught his then  
Springtime meadow green crashing into thunderstorm blue. 

"I'm in."


End file.
